


Come Out Of The Shade

by ineffablesaltflower



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: BUT HE LIVES, Fix-It, Haldir gets hurt, Legolas and Gimli are still traveling, Lord Elrond sends his best healer, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Post-Battle of the Hornburg | Battle of Helm's Deep, brief mentions of battle, mentions of Legolas - Freeform, mentions of Lord Elrond, mentions of the Lady Galadriel, the dwarf still breathes too loud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26649859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablesaltflower/pseuds/ineffablesaltflower
Summary: Just a little fix it about the incident in the battle at Helms Deep. What if Gimli had found Haldir instead of Aragorn? And what if Lord Elrond was wise enough to send his best Healers after the army of elves had left?
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Haldir of Lothlórien
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Come Out Of The Shade

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty new to this fandom and unfortunately there is not enough Haldir content. Also I can't stand seeing him die, so I decided to write a little fix it. and while I'm normally completely into Legolas/Gimli, I couldn't resist the obvious trope of enemies to lovers. I hope you enjoy this at least a little.
> 
> This work is especially dedicated to the kind lotr fandom of twitter and my favorite Haldir stans. you know who you are.
> 
> Work tilte is stolen from the song of The Perishers. You should listen to it.
> 
> xoxo

Gimlis chest heaved with every breath, the rain making it difficult to keep sight of his friends during the battle. Occasionally he had heard Legolas' voice, calling out his count and Gimli had gladly responded.

But now the elf was nowhere to be seen, neither was Aragorn. Not that Gimli actually had the time to take a proper look, the next Orc already went for his neck again, but the dwarf was not having anything of that.

With a quick strike of his axe the head rolled to his feet. With a satisfied grunt he turned around, blinking once more against the heavy rain. He was just about to complain to himself about the rain midst battle, but his attention got caught by another elf.

A certain elf in particular. Haldir, the one elf he never got really warmed up to. Well, though Gimli warmed up rarely up to any elves except for Legolas after all this time. Not that Gimli would actually tell anyone about how he actually came to like the blonde elf.

But Haldir — well, the elf of Lothlórien was simply different from Legolas. Gimli didn't have that many occasions to talk to him but he also didn't even want those occasions to happen. He was all too self confident and his arrogance annoyed the dwarf ever since he had set a foot into the forest.

And yet, now, that he saw the sword right behind the elf, the golden of armour shimmering in rain, he raised his axe. The dwarf ran as fast as his stout legs would carry him, paying no other thought about the fact that he was about to save an elves life.

Too late. _It was too late._

Gimli briefly wondered how elves managed to have their hair still look freshly braided and brushed. It was completely otherworldly and just added to his conclusion of weird elves.

It were only mere seconds between the blade moving through elvish armour like it was nothing and the gasp of the elf, the realization on his face, even a bit of surprise over the pain as his legs gave out.

Gimli put his whole force into killing the orc straight, before turning around to the elf who was kneeling half on his knee, half on the ground already.

"That was absolutely stupid, to keep your back unprotected like that.", Gimli nearly scolded him as he knelt beside him, the elf nearly collapsing into the dwarves arms as a sound left his chest. Haldir laughed. It was a messy, bloody laugh which was almost instantly punished with a sharp, piercing pain through his chest, silencing him.

Gimli held him, pushing away a wet strand of hair out of his face, raising his eyebrow at the following words, spoken in a rush.

"Who would have thought, that I was going to die in the arms of a dwarf."

"Nay, laddie. Who said anything about dying here?", said dwarf found himself saying, holding the stupid elf a little tighter.

"Now you are the stupid one, Gimli, son of Glóin.", Haldir returned, eyes searching for the rough face of the dwarf.

Gimli could feel the battle continuing around them, heard the different shouts and wet sounds of blood, of dying orcs, elves and humans.

"Do you want to tell me, that you elves die from a mere scratch?", he replied, dark eyes meeting the elves.

For a moment the clear eyes of the elf seemed unfocused, another heavy breath leaving him, before ending in a coughing fit when he wanted to answer, hands coming up to hold onto the dwarf.

"Shh, sh. I'm here.", Gimli tried to calm him down, almost a bit surprised about himself and the words.

It equally seemed to surprise the elf, who was coming to a rest again in the dwarves arms.

_Not long anymore._

Haldir knew his time was running up, if they wouldn't get away from here.

Which was almost impossible, the orcs closing in on them. A few elves had gathered around them, keeping the orcs at bay until now.

Perhaps, Gimli wondered, while their eyes met again, perhaps the stars hid behind the clouds of seemingly never ending rain, because they knew that trying to compete with the elfs eyes was a lost case. He hadn't noticed before how intense they were. Gimli wondered, if there was any constellation in dwarven tales or elvish studies, to compare with the beauty of those eyes, reflecting the light of the occasional fires around them, like sprinkled stardust, and he decided — no, there was not.

"Gimli! Haldir!", the voice of Aragorn called over the field, way closer than Gimli expected. It hadn't been long since the incident, the man must've been around somewhere the whole time.

"Aragorn!", Gimli called back to let him know where they were. "Don't you dare to die on me, elf. Not on my watch. Not today.", he grumbled at the way Haldirs face had gotten a few shades paler.

Haldir wanted to say another thing, something about why Gimli thought that he would listen to a dwarf, but sight was slipping from him and darkness surrounded him, just as much as strong arms came to pick him up.

The familiar scent of the heir of Isildur was faintly caught in his nose, before he finally gave in to the comforting darkness.

—

Bright. It was too bright.

Haldir tried to open his eyes, but it was like trying to look directly into the sun. Though the sun turned out to be a mass of ginger hair and beard, with a gruffy face hidden beneath.

"Laddie. There you are.", the voice reached his ears, way too gentle for a dwarf talking to an elf.

"If this is death, then what are you doing here?", Haldir said with a rasping voice, feeling like he had slept for at least a thousand years.

"As much as I wish to tell you that I have decided to even haunt you in the afterlife, I must inform you, that you did indeed survive out of some miracle. You looked paler as the moon and the stars all together.", Gimli let him know, currently stuffing his pipe.

"If I wouldn't know it better, I would say you were worried.", Haldir added after a moment of silence.

Somehow he had gathered the strength to sit up halfway, before letting himself fall back into the pillow with a pained sound.

"And where do you think you are going?", Gimli grumbled and pointed at the bed. "We have clear instructions. You stay on that bed until the healers tell you otherwise, Lord Elrond did personally send them right after you had left back then. He must've suspected something. And I have to make sure you don't get up."

"Is that so? Must be like a punishment for you.", Haldir sounded way too sarcastic for Gimlis liking and for an elf who nearly died.

There. The elf was just unbelievable and he couldn't stand him. Another proof of so.

Before Gimli could reply, it seemed the elf had drifted off into a much more peaceful sleep now.

The state of waking up, drinking a bit of tea and falling asleep again was a constant the next few days. But Gimli did not move from the elves side, did even sent the night shift of guarding away. He slept there, with his axe on his lap and an eye on the recovering elf.

The next time Haldir woke up for longer again was the sunrise on the third day. It wasn't as bright yet in the room, eyes landing on a sleeping dwarf next to him in the chair. Hands gripped tightly a neatly cleaned axe, not a scratch telling about the battle it had fought only a few days prior.

"I can feel you staring at me, elf.", the grumpy voice of the dwarf let Haldir know that he was indeed awake.

"I am not staring.", Haldir replied, but averted his gaze for a moment.

How weird. To find comfort in a simple dwarf by his side whenever he woke up these days.

He could hear the dwarf moving and soon the mass of red hair was right in front of his face again.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I have been stabbed."

Gimli was just about to return something, when Aragorn stepped in.

"He is recovering very well.", the dwarf let him know without waiting for the question. "So much, he already tries to be funny."

Aragorn laughed, clasping the shoulder of the dwarf.

"That is relieving to hear. I shall leave you two to it then. Legolas will come by later with a bit of soup for you two."

—

On the fifth day, Haldir felt already much better. Not as run over by a horde of orcs anymore. Having the dwarf next to him when he woke up was almost as natural as the sun rising by now.

It were merely five days and yet it seemed like almost a life time.

"Care for a walk today, master dwarf?", Haldir asked as he carefully sat up. "I long for the comfort of a forest around me and I simply cannot stay longer inside."

Gimli looked up from his axe he had currently tended to, as if he was thinking about it.

"Someone does have to take care of your safety after all.", he decided then and helped Haldir up from the bed.

Though both would fiercely deny, both, to offer the help and accept said help. After all, Haldir was a warrior elf, the guard of the forests of Lothlórien and the Lady Galadriel herself. He surely did not depend on a dwarf.

Luckily the trees hid them both from the sight of curious outstanders, so nobody could catch a glimpse of Haldir leaning onto Gimli for support from time to time, when walking became simply too much.

When Gimli had to depart with his comrades, Haldir was on a move as well back to Lothlórien for a full recover.

"Perhaps, if a dwarf is bold enough, he shall come visit the woods again when his quest is fulfilled.", Haldir offered and glanced down at Gimli.

"Perhaps, if an elf is bold enough to catch him in the dark. And strong enough to hold the bow again."

Amusement played around the corners of Gimlis mouth.

"I doubt I will have any troubles to do so. You lead the way with your loud breathing. I will count on hearing it again."

A breath of laughter was tingling through the air, though the elf soon returned back to his usual seriousness. With a gentle bow of his head Haldir left Gimli to his own.

—

Many months later, after the defeatment of Sauron, Aragorns coronation and a visit to the Glittering Caves later, Legolas and Gimli came to a halt in the forests of Lothlórien again.

So much time had passed and yet, once Gimli crossed the border, a rather familiar guard was almost immediately in front of him again.

He looked better, Gimli decided. Healthy. Not so dangerously pale anymore.

"There you are.", the elf said, as if he had been waiting for the dwarfs arrival the whole time. He did not once believe that Gimli wouldn't make it back. The dwarf was simply too stubborn to die, Haldir was sure of so.

Gimli was silent for a moment, because the sun caught in the golden hair for a moment and once again he was struck by a whole other kind of beauty. Not a beauty like the fair Lady Galadriel. But a beauty Gimli was sure would turn every other dwarf jealous, if only they could see.

"Have you lost your words on the way?", Haldir asked with amusement in his voice, though his face was unmoving.

"I have not.", Gimli grumbled and strut past the unbelievable elf. "Are you coming now, laddie — or not?", he called back when he noticed Haldir wasn't coming.

"I'm here.", Haldir replied with a secret smile and followed.

—

If an elf and a dwarf were seen in the shadows of the trees later, braiding each others hair while the dwarf left occasionally little kisses on the soft elven cheek — and if the elven guard would let out a quiet chuckle at said kisses, well, who would know.

_Was it love, or just something that reminded me of?_  
_Something that felt a lot like, but wasn't, love._  
_Just friends, friends then, until the end;_  
_You know I still pretend, just friends._  
  
_Take a step and come out of the shade,_  
_I can tell you're no longer afraid._  
_I'm helpless without your warming smile._  
_Take a step and come out in the sun;_  
_I can tell it's already begun,_  
_I'm helpless without your warming smile._

_The Perishers - Come Out Of The Shade_


End file.
